kin. Outside, the night crooned lullabies only the lonely could hear, but inside Ananya's world, everything

r face, distorting her features just enough to make her feel more monstrous. Her hair clung to her cheeks in damp strands, her eyes rimmed red from crying -

ressed her fingers lig

s thi

e might reveal someone more beautiful. Someo

v Ka

no one. Dreams embroidered with trembling fingers. And he'd said... nothing. Not during the laughter. Not when she stood frozen in shame. But then later, in that alley, he h

dox clawe

invisible,

the mirror...

wounded thing. She didn't dare open it. Instead, she buried her face in her hands and wept. Qui

" she choked.

voice had curled mockingly around the words she'd written. How everyone had laughe

to see me," she whisper

chest, curling into hersel

nce. The door to her r

of turmeric and worry clinging to her. She stepped inside gently, not flick

. Her sobs had painted trails down her cheeks an

walked in and sat beside he

she said softly.

one of Anand Academy, but something warmer. Like thick blankets on winter nights. Her moth

nt to talk

her throat raw. "T

ed, just slight

ngs in it. About someone. Abo

es - those strong, working-woman eyes that had seen s

"He didn't. But he di

tment. Instead, her mother said something t

voice. That's not weakn

her mother, sta

hey don't know what it means to live in a world t

her hands - gentle, callouse

se mirrors?" she asked. "What they call

trembled. "Wha

t adults are too afraid to say aloud. I see a warrior who survived that

at p

boy - what'

ed, a blush ri

e your worth, then maybe he's not th

he rawness - he had followed her. He had told her she wasn't i

r saree. "You can choose to hide, or you can

room, she paus

e added with a smile, "wr

ears had dried on her cheeks, leaving behind salt tr

s something

ty. Not

defi

l body - in just her camisole and slip. The folds. The curves. The marks. H

, "You're not

oreign. B

ing a finger down her reflection's ar

gain. Each time, her voi

mething shimmered. A t

on her table. S

om an unkn

ink you're

art th

v Ka

had me

screen. She didn't know w

iled. Just

or didn't look s

her did